It's a Cruel World
by DamaVerde
Summary: I saw Transformer 4 a few days ago and I was disappointed. This ffiction is my way to find a solution to all the things I have hated in this movie with a little help from Mikaela Banes and some other old friends... *Decepticons are no more. Factions are no more. Now there are only alive Cybertronians and dead Cybertronians.*
1. Chapter 1

**I - Prologue - It's a Cruel World **

It was hot. Too hot even for that season.

She was sweating, finding no confort even in the open window with her hair dancing in the warm air. The music from the speakers was loud, and she tapped her long, blue painted nails on the steering wheel following the rhythm. Everything in her stance suggested that she was of that kind of carefree drivers who caused accidents just to check the lipstick in the rearview mirror when, in fact, it was exactly the opposite.

She was good, driving with a natural confidence… enjoying the heated tarmac under the wheels, and the long road with the floating mirages on the horizon.

That was one of her favourite things: driving in the sun, a long ride in a quiet, lazy day.

When she reached her destination, she parked easily in front of an old car repair shop and stepped out, taking the time to put her naked feet in a pair of stiletto shoes of the same shade of her nail polish.

She went inside purposedly ignoring the stare of the men behind the counter. They watched her with a sort of rapt avidity.

- Are you lost, honey?

She watched the man with total disinterest, just arching an eyebrow at the word _honey_ - Dunno. This place is "The Garage Gurus"? - she gave a skeptic look all around, like to point out that the place didn't seem like a place for gurus of any kind.

- Yup. Your car broke down? - the man laughed - I can give you a ride home while the others take care of it.

- Nah. I've called a few hours ago. Name's Jane Austen.

- You're that Miss Austen? - another man, one apparently a little bit smarter, gave her a long thoughtful stare, checking a long list of car parts.

- The one.

The first man shaked his head - That list is for you babe? Whaddya doin with that? Car parts are not like make up and trinkets, you know?

- You're so funny. - she licked her lips, faking a flirtatious smirk that made him forget everything about car parts and repairs - It's all for my bunny. He couldn't come, and I was on the way. What we do for love, uh? I would have preferred go to the mall and buy couple of lipsticks, you know? - she bent a little on the counter, showing some centimeters of her plunging neckline

- Anyway, now I'm here…

- Lucky man... - the idiot gulped.

- Jake. - the second man slapped him on the back of the head - Bring miss Austen's things to her car. - _and stop drooling_, he thought.

- Duh, Bob I got it!

- Sweet. - she smiled, handing over a number of notes to Bob - You're so reliable, I like that. My love had some difficulties to find reliable automobile repair shops; he's a little temperamental, I think it comes with being a professional boxeur and all. - she smiled amusedly - Last time someone in a shop gave him the wrong wrench ended up at the hospital. And he is jealous. What can I say? I like that kind of man. - she shrugged - The one with big arms, ya know?

She smiled again, not a pleasant smile, while her phone ringed a couple of time before she picked up the call - Hey bunny! We were talking of you, love. Yup, they had everything and they are so kind... no, love, I can do it myself. I'm on my way home, bunny.

Jake gulped, rushing to her car with an armful of bags.

- Shit. - Bob shaked his head - Dunno why I hired him in the first place. That boy is still too young or too stupid. That's all, miss Austen?

- I think so. - she perfectly faked a look of disinterest, like she truly wanted to be somewhere else buying lipsticks and fake eyelashes - Did you gave me everything was on the list?

- Yes, do you want to check?

- Don't bother. If there's a problem... when bunny checks everything eventually I'll give you a call. - she shrugged.

- Sure.

She nodded and went out, taking a moment to adapt to the hot wind after the air conditioned in the garage.

Jake rushed inside, giving her a last longing stare.

- Bye, babe. - she winked, getting on the car.

With the bags safely stocked in the back of the pickup, she removed the shoes and fumbled for a second in the dashboard, checking a little phone-like device before speeding away.

A few miles away, she stopped on the side of a desert road to inspect the bags.

With a sigh she acknowledged that everything was ok, deeply happy to avoid to have to go back to the garage.

She was almost at the point of restarting the engine when her phone came again to life.

The voice on the other side of the line was everything but amused - Call me bunny and love just one more time and I'll crush you.

The woman snorted derisively - Sure, bunny.

- Woman, I... - another voice interfered on the line, covering the stream of curses coming from the first one - Your friend arrived, and is waiting for someone to pick her up. You're going?

- Mm... I don't mind driving.

- It's kinda of a long drive with that... rusty thing.

She laughed - I'll manage. I have already told you, I like driving.

- Manual gearbox and all? - he sounded skeptic.

- See you in a little while. Tell bunny to keep the house clean.

The line whent mute without a reply and she laughed again, louder.

.xxx.

She truly liked driving the old pickup, enjoying the sound of the old, man made engine and the long way to the next town. Even though she didn't like passing in more populated areas... and she methodically avoided looking at the big memorial placards for Chicago.

- Remember my ass. - she muttered.

One way or another the ride went smooth, and she reached her destination. The hotel was old, a dusty hellhole smelling of fried onions.

With a sigh she passed through the entrance hall with its fading wall paper and waited for the receptionist, a lady older than the building, to acknowledge her presence.

- Good morning.

- You need a room? - the receptionist asked hopeful, adjusting her spectacles on the length of her nose.

- Not really. I think one of you guests is waiting for me.

The old lady made a face of utter disappointment - I see.

- The name is Bovary.

The woman checked a register and nodded - Emma? Room 7. Wait there... - she pointed a hideous velvety green couch - I'll call Miss Bovary for you.

- That's really appreciated.

The younger woman pulled away a strand of dark brown hair from her face and seated on the armrest of the couch, studying the place, searching for something amiss out of habit.

After a little while the sound of heels on the worm-eaten floor announced the arrive of her friend.

A gorgeous, sassy blond rushed toward her, embracing the brunette with a huge smile.

- God, how I have missed you! - she cried.

- The same here. - she responded with a bear hug and then coughed when the receptionist started to look a little bit too intently to their reunion.

- Let me settle the bill and then we could go.

The brunette nodded, and took the baggage that the other woman had left a few steps away.

The old lady gave her a look of suspicion, but it was just something of the self-righteous kind. Nothing like real danger.

- Let's go, ok... Emma? - the brunette tilted her head - We will be late for the... party.

When they were outside, they both breathed heavily, enjoying the clean, although hot, air better than the awful smell of onions.

- Geez, I could be dead if I stayed inside a bit longer! You ought to find another meeting place.

- Why? This is so disgustingly perfect! - the blonde smiled, opening the door of the car and sitting inside.

- Yeah, I can bet that no one will be willingly to search for you among the onions and the lace doilies.

They drove for a little while in amicable silence.

- So how things are going here? - the blonde asked.

- Don't you know?

The car passed next a church plastered with signs encouraging hate against Cybertronians.

- That's the same almost everywhere. Preachers that swear that aliens are devil's spawn... - she laughed with no trace of amusement - Cities plastered with those shitty posters.

The two women were both aware that the pickup was a safe place to speak, both knowing that the little device inside the dashboard was made to avoid every kind of interception. They were wearing a smaller, essentially invisible version of the device wherever they went, but the one in the car was far more effective, working as a shield from whatever devilry the government or the others, humans or not, were most likely to use against them.

- Something's big is going on, Mikaela. - the blonde said biting her lips, and dismissing their fake names - We could been reaching a new point.

- Tell me something I don't know. We are monitoring the KSI every single second; I wonder if we could be able to do more than this anytime soon.

- This is why I'm back. I have new informations. We could do something now that their attention is diverted to Hong Kong. - she hesitated for a second - And I... I'm sorry for your other loss. I didn't have the time to tell you that before, but I'm deeply sorry.

Mikaela Banes tightened her grip on the steering wheel and nodded - Sometimes I wonder if he remembered my existence. But no matter what... I couldn't forget any of them. Especially Ratchet. - saying the name out loud was painful - We weren't able to save any part of his frame. Lockdown... you know. - she hissed.

- Yeah... - they fell again in silence for a few minutes.

- It's hard. - Mikaela Banes sighed - But you know, you have been trough this with Glen.

Maggie Madsen nodded - They swept away his house, and everyone inside. - she laughed still without any amusement - An escape of gas in the basement?! I've never understood why they hunted him before me... it could have been my house in the end. An escape of gas, for God's sake! And that was when I realized that Maggie Madsen was a walking dead. And you entered in the picture... - she gave a grateful smile to Mikaela.

- What are friends for?

- But we weren't friends at the time.

Mikaela shrugged - Now we are.

- If we only had been quick enough to save the others.

- There was no way to save Will and Sam. When the NEST was dismantled, and Will sent to some godforgotten hole... it was too late.

_Yeah, too late_ she thought. But at least they were able to secure Sarah and her daughter... even if not without some accidents.

Sam, well... she had been aware since the very first time that Sam was in the hands of God, far beyond help. Sam Witwicky had been the number one enemy to the Cemetery Winds or whathever they called themselves; obviously they didn't hunt humans officially... but all the humans involved with Cybertronians happened to be dead today. Unless they were AWOL.

AWOL like Simmons... wherever he was able to hide himself. Or like Maggie and Mikaela.

Oh, Sam... Sam! Mikaela shook her head. Their love had been a long forgotten thing before all this mess. At one point she had stopped to feel love for Sam, but only affection like for a brother. She had loved a young man, a positive man, not the frustrated, darker Sam that he had became growing older, when he had discovered that he wasn't anymore the centre of attention.

When she had left... she had discovered that more than one thing was amiss.

Optimus and the others were growing more indifferent every day, while they worked with the Govern to synthesize Energon to sustain themselves. Like they weren't all the same mechs she had known in the first place.

Somehow, someone was undermining, sabotaging the Autobots since then... waiting for the right moment, Chicago, to get rid of the aliens and win the power of a new technology.

She had seen it clearly with Ratchet: starting to be his pupil, working side to side with the ancient medic, learning how to save a Cybertronian life just to be forgotten a few months after.

Their judgment must have been clouded, she was sure. And then bots who survived millennia of war... had found themselves manipulated by humans and swept away in seconds.

- Shit! - she cried.

Maggie sighed, reclining her head and closing the eyes - You know, we jumped in this trap like idiots.

- Sometimes I dream of Megatron. - Mikaela muttered - He couldn't have been so bad, all considered.

- Says the woman who runs with Decepticons.

Mikaela smiled smugly - Decepticons are no more. Factions are no more. Now there are only alive Cybertronians and dead Cybertronians.

Like evoked by a superior force her phone ringed... and she picked up the call.

- Mission accomplished? - asked the voice at the other side, but Mikaela wasn't bothered by the apparent coolness in his tone.

- We're heading home. Couple hours and we will be there.

- Acknowledged.

The line went dead and Mikaela smiled.

- Home, really? Home is what you truly consider that place?

- Home is where the heart is. - she whispered.

Maggie laughed - You know what? I could have never imagined this, becoming a runaway, a spy, a smuggler... but we are doing the right thing.

Mikaela nodded.

- Now more than ever, I would say... now I truly think we have a possibility. We can infiltrate the KSI. The Autobots have created enough mayhem for us to succeed... and all of their forces are not in Chicago anymore. Let's speak with the others, let's formulate a plan.

- We have plenty to talk about.

Maggie patted her arm - Let's do it.

.xxx

**Author's Note: **

Hello readers! Thank you if you have read so far!

First of all let me explain that I'm not an English native speaker: I'm Italian to be honest... so, please, be merciful with my bad grammar and everything! xD I'm just trying to write in English, ok? :-) Don't be offended if I do something wrong, ok, pleeease?!

Going to more important matters, if you like the idea... leave a comment, and let me know what you think!

For the rest... I saw Transformer 4 in a cinema in London a few days ago... and I was disgusted. They didn't explain a thing, nor they respected the original disposition and nature of the characters...

I literally cried when Ratched died... -.- And I hate what they are doing with Optimus and the others. What the hell!

This ffiction is my way to find a solution to all the things I have hated in this movie. If you want to know more stay tuned and check my profile for my all links and all!

.xxx.

**Chapter's Soundtrack:**

Shades of Cool, and Cruel World _by Lana del Rey_


	2. Chapter 2

II – We are Still Here

Maggie Madsen did never really appreciate the barren landscape of the desert. The shades of brown and ochre were not among her favourite colours; she was more that kind of person who loves the ocean and its deep shades. But, nonetheless, while the sunset approached she found herself enchanted by the earthly colours and the shades of the sky.

Mikaela gave her just one amused look and shook her head " They said that the space was boring. Can you believe it? Traveling in the actual space and finding it boring? "

" No, not really... "

" I started to think about it… like I do when it comes to the desert: mostly seems to be tedious, but then... it surprises you. In every possible way. "

Maggie snorted " You are really grown up, aren't you?

Mikaela laughed " I don't think so. But... you have to see things in a different way at a certain point. To avoid to get stuck in the past, and become blind. "

" Mm... " Maggie leaned her head against the door of the car, idly enjoying the hot wind " Don't you find it to be hard? "

" What? "

" Living in the middle of nowhere. "

She shrugged " We have all our little luxuries here. And you? "

" What? Hiding in big cities? Changing name and identity once a month? "

Mikaela nodded.

" Nope. " Maggie smirked " When I was younger I used to read all that novels with spies: crazy adventures and beautiful women. Just think of it: I could have been dead. Now I'm a spy instead, like in those books, and I like it better. "

" It suits you. The role of the seductive woman. " she joked.

" And I thought that this was your role, Banes! "

Mikaela tilted her head, thoughtfully " Dunno. I would like to be able to do more. I'm just gifted with mechanic and repairs. I'm a grease monkey, after all. But I would like to be able to do what you do. Going around, fooling those idiots, catching informations, analyzing data... you're cool! "

" And you're such a fool, Mikaela! " Maggie snorted " I couldn't be able to take your place in a million years. You could take mine anytime. Now stop with this nonsense, ok? "

The other woman shrugged " We are almost there, anyway. Look! "

She pointed a little set of lights coming towards them on the otherwise desert road. The lights where small, too small for an actual car.

Mikaela slowed down, and a minuscule SUV, more suited to be the car of a Barbie, stopped beside her door.

" You're late for dinner, war goddess! " the little SUV transformed, and a likewise small mech jumped in the pickup, seating among Mikaela and Maggie.

The blond woman waved her hand " Hello, Wheelie! "

" Hi there, hottie! "

Mikaela slapped the little bot on his head " Stop it. She is not interested! "

" Why? What have I done? " he lamented.

" We all know you well, little perv. " Mikaela hissed " I'm so not coming to retrieve you from her room tonight, when she will be willingly to crush you, little voyeur. "

Wheelie cried, and Maggie laughed, petting the small mech " Mute it. I could never crush him... "

Wheelie sighed, pressing his head on the lap of the blonde.

" Look, he is so cute! "

Mikaela snorted derisively " We will see. "

" You know what, Mikaela? You never told me how you had this cute babe back. "

" Yeah, I'm a babe... your babe. " Wheelie muttered, rubbing his head against her legs.

" Stop that, sicko! " Mikaela hissed " Don't you guess? He never left me. Or better... I never really left him. He was just keeping an eye on everything for me. Like on the Autobots, Sam and everything."

" Hear, hear... "

Wheelie raised his head " I would have never truly left or bad-mouthed the War Goddess. I'm a little loyal former Decepticon. I work only for the War Goddess. " he extended an arm to touch Mikaela's knee. She rolled her eyes, puffing air from her nostrill like a bull.

" Quite wise on your account. " Maggie noted.

" I've told you. I started noticing strange things before breaking with Sam. What would have you done if you had noticed that my blood was starting to change color at the same rate my disposition changed, mm? "

" I would have called an exorcist? " Maggie shrugged.

" That's so funny. "

" Just joking. So you are certain, the Autobots have been poisoned or something? "

" Since the beginning, from the Government, or whatever power was behind the throne, to use a figure of speech. That or the fault was in the Earth's geomagnetic field, in the ley lines, or in the chemical trails! Ah! "

" They were stupid. " Wheelie noted " They put all of of their faith in the wrong hands. That Witwicky guy, he pulled a stunt with the Allspark thing but it wasn't enough. He wasn't... suited to understand the truth. Or to keep the Allspark... " Wheelie whispered.

Nor Mikaela nor Maggie were able to find an answer.

Well, certainly Mikaela was well aware that the troubles with Sam began when he discovered that whatever ability the Allspark had given to him was gone.

" That's old history. " Mikaela sighed " And we have reached the base. "

Maggie gulped, still a little unnerved by the idea of being in the presence of Mikaela's Decepticons. Thinking of it, that was a funny definition. But Mikaela had found the two of them after Chicago, on the run, battered and almost dead. And somehow, for some irrational reason she had managed to hide them even before moving to the desert, fixing their injuries. She had explained it like sort of a inner compulsion... or probably it was just out of rebellion against the way the Autobots had left her behind.

And when chaos ensued the two mechs simply stayed with her.

Well, all considered staying near a medic was the most sensible thing to do for two of the last survivors of a doomed race. Maggie tilted her head. The mechs were still wild and mostly unmanageable, after all. And scary as hell. But all of them had found a way to coexist and live togheter for the sake of a common cause: surviving.

The car stopped in the middle of nowhere, and Mikaela sounded the horn three times.

" They already know we are here. " Wheelie idly noted.

Maggie shivered, that was another scary thing: they knew that the car was outside not just because of the sensors or the cameras... they had always a couple of satellites following every of their movements. Satellites were the playthings of one of Mikaela's Decepticons, after all.

" I know. " Mikaela stated " But it feels like home. "

A panel perfectly hidden in the dust went up, revealing a dark passage to the underground.

Mikaela drove in the darkness like if the situation was not so strange at all.

Maggie didn't know for sure if the old spaceship, hidden under the surface of the desert, had been there since forever or if it had crashed after Chicago. Whatever was the truth it was an impressive place to be in.

The first time she had been inside, she had felt every possible inch of claustrophobia for being underground; sure, the place was the dream of every Star Trek fan... Glen would have loved it, but it was really unnerving. Gigantic walls made of metal and covered in spikes and strange devices. She felt that if she had just brushed against a panel she could have been easily electrocuted.

Mikaela, instead, was totally at ease. Maggie shook her head, that was just another strange thing in bunch of strange things.

" Wheelie... " Mikaela mused.

" Wha... what? "

" The place is becoming dusty, ya know. "

The little mech freezed, he hated being remembered of his cleaning duties.

" I… I'll manage. " he snorted.

They reached the end of a ramp, and stepped out from the car.

" Good God, Maggie! You're too thin! "

Maggie turned to face an older woman on a wheelchair, followed by a gorgeous pre-teen.

" Sarah! Belle! " she hugged them both " I didn't realize I would have met you here! "

" We had a little incident where we were staying before. We will be here for a little while, before moving to a safer place. " Sarah smiled.

" Or you can stay, instead. " Mikaela shrugged " For a little longer, at least? " she enjoyed human company... even though somehow it was becoming more and more a thing of the past. She met with Maggie, Sarah and Belle once in a while... and she was losing the grasp on why humans needed to live in normal houses, seeing each other, doing normal things.

" I need to bring those bags to the medbay. You will be alright without me? "

" Don't worry Mikaela. " Belle joined the conversation " We can show Maggie around, if she has forgotten the place. "

" Good. I'll see you later. "

They watched Mikaela leave with the sort of same worried look on their faces.

" Now what? " Maggie smiled " Do you have something to eat? "

" Wheelie is so good at heating a can of soup. " Belle laughed and the small mech gulped, surprised that she had spoken good of him... making a step back like a schoolboy too shy to be the focus of conversation.

Maggie gave him a knowlegeable look " I see... " so the small perv had a thing for Belle " Let's try Wheelie's soup! "

.xxx.

Mikaela methodically organized the content of the bags on shelves and containers of her diminutive height, leaving no space to disorder and imprecision.

Everything was in its place, labelled and registered to be quickly found in case of necessity.

Then she thought of going back to Sarah, Belle and Maggie for a little leisure time... but her omnipresent sense of guilt prevailed. So she just seated in the almost dark medbay, a medbay made for a being easily ten times her height, and she went again through all her notions on Cybertronian anatomy, reading again and again list of parts, remembering the times she had worked with Ratchet, procedures, everything she could recall.

There was something terrible in the awareness of being probably the last one to have a vague knowledge of the medicine of another race on Earth, and all while the aforesaid alien race was dying.

She knew she had been able to save her two companions from the outer space just because... just because their superior ability to heal themselves.

No kidding, Mikaela... she thought. You're not a real medic. You're a greasy monkey, and a runaway.

She looked carefully at the wrench in her hands, turning it again and again, imagining it like an extension of her arm.

If only she had been a better suited person, if only she had had more time with Ratchet!

She had been lucky, but lucky wasn't forever.

" Sulking in the darkness, aren't we? " the harsh voice brought her back.

She glanced up to the red eyes floating in the darkness, before their owner stepped in what small light was left.

He had a dangerous, spiky figure and a fractious stare... like it has been created to resemble some sort of nightmare.

" Barricade. " she whispered " Here to mock me? But I'll tell you I'm not in the mood. "

" I don't care what mood are you in. "

She gave him sort of an unpleasant smile " I know that. "

" The Madsen character had brought us informations. "

So they had already put Maggie at work.

" Of the useful kind? "

Barricade extended his finger, adapting and shifting a part of it to fit in one of the ports of the computer on her desk.

" What is that? "

He ignored her question, stepping again in the darkness. Mikaela wondered if he had left or if was just still there, eyes offlined.

The screen of the laptop came to life, showing some images taken by a drone of the Cemetery Wind and Mikaela froze.

It was quick, it was painful. She watched the death of her mentor, so that nothing was left to her imagination.

It wasn't just like knowing it... it was far more terrible, just watching it happen.

She watched the video three times, then a fourth, a fifth time. And then she lost the count.

Dead. Ratchet was dead and gone. And for no reason.

" He was a medic. " she whispered " He was the last medic... "

Red eyes comes to life again in the darkness " No, you are the last one. "

Mikaela felt a stab of rage " Don't play with me! "

He managed to smirk " You are not worth it. You are too weak for me. "

" So, fuck off! Leave me alone! "

" Why? " he was still darkly smirking " I would better keep our last medic near, you never know when it can be helpful. "

" If I'm your last medic you are royally fucked, you fool! " Mikaela sighed taking her head in her hands " Are you enjoying tormenting me? "

" I have already told you, you are too weak for that. "

She bit her lips.

" Now if you are done with your little self-pity party... we are discussing things in the main hangar. "

" Can't you give me a second? "

" No. "

She straightened her back, taking the wrench left on the desk and throwing it against Barricade.

The wrench hit the target, and she knew that it would have been the same if she had thrown a feather.

" Are you coming? " he hissed.

" Yeah. "

" Mmm. Good. "

" I'm sorry. "

" Mmm. "

" Don't make us wait. " he stepped in the dark corridor, and she knew he was truly gone this time.

" Oh, shit... " she cried " Shit, shit, shit! "

She had no idea what they were going to do.

.xxx.

Sarah Lennox had seen too many things to be still surprised from something unusual.

She had received the call announcing the death of her husband on the same day a group of man in black attempted to kill her and her daughter... and then she had been saved, even with a fresh bullet in her spine, from an evil robot and a too young enraged woman. She had been dragged in a spaceship hidden in the desert, she had met another unnerving, silent robot and former sworn enemy to the human race and she had been, somehow, helped.

Annabelle and Sarah had been on the run for four years, changing place too frequently to remember every single step of their journey... but, well, they were still together, they were alive, a family. And they ought to be thankful for that, and for the unusual mercy of a bunch of evil aliens.

Belle was reading a book, ignoring the dark atmosphere, watched by Wheelie. Maggie Madsen was working on a computer, side to side with the silvery, silent Soundwave.

What could be our role in all of this, she mused. She was a disabled woman now, with a daughter too young to be helpful. She wasn't a genius of computer, nor a mechanic. She had never received any training for a situation like this.

All she could be was... a mother.

She and Annabelle would always remember. All they could ever been was... witnesses.

She didn't notice when Barricade came back, he could be silent as a cat. But Mikaela did nothing to hide her presence. She walked in the room and the air changed somehow. Sarah was still a little shocked by this: there was something in Mikaela's determination, and at the same time it was like... something else. A physical shift in the air when she entered in a room. Something that made you believe that some sort of happy ending was still possible, even though Mikaela haven't already acknowledged to be the heart of their revolution.

" Sorry if I'm late. "

" Oh, Mikaela. " Maggie shrugged " You are perfectly on time to listen what I have to tell to you all. "

Mikaela took a seat near Sarah and Maggie went through all the details of what she had been able to discover from her contacts at the KSI. Things that Mikaela already knew thanks to the spying abilities of Soundwave, and little, petty things that only humans would have noticed... but that were the key to infiltrate.

Who liked what, how to bribe someone.

" I'm close. " Maggie whispered " I will be able to set foot at the KSI probably in a few days. They are too busy elsewhere, having problems with Optimus and with their malfunctioning drones. Don't you see? The place has already been infiltrated. Now it's time for me. For something more subtle. "

They all fell in a thoughtful silence.

" There's something else. " Barricade smirked.

" Megatron is back. " Soundwave sounded still detached, too cool.

" Well, sort of. "

.xxx.

.xxx.

**Author's Note:**

Thanks to everyone who took the time to review/follow/favourite the story! Thanks a lot! :D

As always... remember that my English is not perfect, because I'm not a native speaker, ok?

But let's speak business now: if you are wondering what Mikaela was implying saying that she feared for the Autobots to have been poisoned... well, it's easy said. In the horrible 4th movie the Energon has turned... green, instead of bluish! XD In this fiction this will be explained with the fact that the Government was providing Autobots with the help necessary to synthesize Energon... but at the same time the Government was tricking the bots, adding to that synthesized Energon some kind of drug useful to weaken our heroes, and cloud their ability to judge situations. With this and other reason that you will be able to read in the next chapters, I'm going to explain the unexplainable... -.-

Have you noticed how (especially in DOTM and AOE) the Autobots seems to be emotionally detached?! Tsk, tsk...

Obviously, the Decepticons weren't working with the humans, so they haven't been poisoned, and they have retained their (sort of) sanity (for their standards, anyway!).

Next update probably will take a little bit more to be published... I'm quite busy at the moment; just be patient. And let me know what you think. Personally I've loved writing Barricade... xD

Thanks again and ciao!

.xxx.

Chapter's Soundtrack: God and Monsters _by Lana del Rey_


	3. Chapter 3

**III – Almost on the road…**

" Me... Megatron? " Annabelle raised her head, fighting against the fear " Is he back? "

No one answered instantly; the question still lingering in the air... the Cybertronians just stayed still and silent.

Mikaela sighed. She could have asked how, or why... but instinctively she already knew. KSI had played with Megatron's components since Chicago. This was going to happen anyway, later or sooner.

Megatron lacked the ability to stay dead for too long. And, anyway, she was willing to wait to be left alone with Maggie and the aliens before asking for details; obviously Sarah and Belle deserved the truth, and Mikaela was a strict believer in truthfulness after the mess of the last years. But, nonetheless, Belle's reaction was an evident sign that some things were better unsaid.

_Megatron!_ Mikaela snorted; thinking of it she would have preferred to witness the triumph of the old rusty bucket, instead of the idiocy of Governments.

Geez, Megatron was a tyrant and a psycho... but no tyrant could have been worse than politicians manipulated by economical interests.

" So what now? " Sarah whispered " The Decepticons are going to… "

Barricade tilted his head, feeling the urge to say something bad to stay in character, but Soundwave prevented him from doing so.

" Negative. "

" I guess Decepticons are no more. Period. " Mikaela stated with a certain conviction.

" How can you even say it! Megatron is back! " Annabelle snapped " How is this even possible? "

" Annabelle... " Sarah whispered " It's not... "

" Shut up, mum! " she cried " I want to know, I'm not a kid! "

" Well, Belle. There's no reason to be afraid, now. We are not even sure... " Maggie bit her lips, trying to find the right words.

" All of this is Megatron's fault! It was him… it' s all his doing!"

" I see it differently. " Barricade mused " All of this slag is Optimus fault, or... "

" Ours? " Mikaela raised her head " It's not Megatron you must fear, Belle. It's humans you need to watch out for. Humans killed Will. "

" Listen. " Maggie made another attempt to calm the girl, ignoring Mikaela's lack of tact " Listen, we don't even know what is truly going on. If Megatron is really back, or if it's just some _part_ of him. An echo, do you know what I mean? There is no need to freak out for something that we don't know for sure. And even if he is back... it's not our priority. We don't have business with Megatron anymore. " the last words sounded a little like a question, and Maggie searched for a confirmation in the expressions of the Decepticons.

" Well, yeah... " Wheelie muttered " Who is still willing to work with the old, rusty bucket? Not me. Don't be afraid Annabelle. "

" Affirmative. " Soundwave noted " Allegiance has changed. "

" That it's translated: we don't have a thing to gain from this Galvatron or whatever they call him. If he is Megatron he has failed us, anyway. " Barricade smirked " Unless he proves to have something worth for us. Something worth the effort to follow him. "

" That's another reason for me to go and try to infiltrate the KSI now. " Maggie licked her lips.

Sarah diverted her attention from Annabelle, still trembling, to Maggie " Yow know that's too risky. One thing is spying and... " she made a noncommittal sign with her hand " But actually being in the headquarter of our... enemies? Is really reasonable and necessary? You could go on with what you have done till now. "

The expression on Maggie's face hardened " Infiltrating was our idea since the beginning. We have spent four years waiting for this moment. And it's not like... things are not already dangerous for us all. We are all virtually dead. "

" Mikaela... " Sarah turned her head to the other woman.

" I'm with Mags, Sarah. I know is dangerous, but... "

" I don't get it. " Sarah shook her head " Megatron is back and I know that this can work as a diversion, even if I hate everything about it. I understand that they are focused somewhere else than Chicago, and that their headquarter has been deeply damaged... but still. Still! Maggie and Soundwave are more than able to hack their systems from here. I don't think that going in there will be a good idea. What could you possibly do? "

" Probably I will be able to find... evidences. Evidences of what they have done. Names. We know that they are used to register their crimes with those fucking flying drones, but we were able to download only three, four videos. If I were able to find all the recordings... Glen's death, Will's death, Sam's death.. " Maggie rubbed a hand against her forehead " If we were able to find evidences of what they have done to the Cybertronians since the beginning, if we were able to find the missing link... oh, Sarah, don't you see? We can change everything. "

The older woman sighed " And then what? People are going to love Cybertronians? After Chicago? After all the hate they have been fed with? They will welcome us, do you think? "

" I don't care! I'm willingly to be a runaway for the rest of my life if I can have some… I don't know, justice! "

" But there's no fucking justice in America! " Sarah cried, and then covered her mouth under the shocked stares of the other humans " I... "

" Mum… " the word came out like a soft sound, a soothing whisper from Belle's mouth. The young girl kneeled beside Sarah's wheelchair, taking the hands of the older woman, who was now crying, in hers.

" Then we will have revenge. " Mikaela mused " I will be very happy if we can find evidences to incriminate KSI. But if we can't... "

" We can easily destroy all their files, all their projects from the inside. " Maggie nodded " They won't be able to regroup and rebuild. I swear to God, Mikaela. I will set the place on fire if I must, after deleting everything and having them exposed. And I will bring home all is left of the remnants of the Cybertronians they have killed. " she exchanged a look with Soundwave " Let me balance things. For justice, or for revenge. And if we are very lucky... Optimus Prime and his allies will do the rest. "

" And if you die trying? " Sarah whispered.

" Light a candle for me, and go on. " Maggie shrugged " I have lived four years more of what they have planned for me, anyway. "

" We can't stop now, Sarah. " Mikaela shrugged " And there's no reason for you and Belle to be worried. Give us a little credit: we have done very well so far. "

Sarah stared for a second at the emptiness of one of the dark corridors of the ship, brushing away the tears from her face " We will stay here. Me and Belle, till we are sure that Maggie is well. That everyone is coming home. "

" Ok. " Mikaela nodded.

" I will go with her. " Soundwave intoned "Destruction of KSI is priority. "

The hacker nodded " See? Nothing will go wrong. I won't be alone. "

**xxx**

Almost everyone disappeared in the depths of the ship; Maggie to plan with Soundwave, Sarah to comfort Annabelle, Wheelie... to spy on the youngest of the group.

Barricade kept on working at the massive control panel of the spaceship, ignoring, or apparently ignoring Mikaela.

They stayed silent for a while, used to be immersed in their own thoughts, in their own activities.

Mikaela took her time to digest the enormity of the data that Maggie and Soundwave had snatched to the systems of KSI, keeping on musing on things to do, decisions to take, risks to come.

There were moments when remembering why they kept on fighting was hard; yeah, revenge was a big part of it. A huge part.

But she was thirsty for truth. And desperately in need for some form of hope. She gave a furtive look to Barricade; in the best scenery she would have been able to go back home and rebuild a life after that justice had been done. But what of the Cybertronian? Soundwave and Barricade were... rough, to say the least. Probably they weren't just killing machines, but they had enjoyed killing on some extent, war sick. Now they were sharing the ship with squishies, yeah. With a disabled woman, a pre-teen, Maggie and herself… sure, but they weren't going to paint themselves in pink or to embrace a hippie philosophy.

Mikaela smiled at the idea.

The image of Barricade covered in flowers, screaming peaceful slogans with is harsh voice was... ew!

The mech turned, as if he had sensed that something suspicious was going on.

She lowered her head, faking to be immersed in something else.

" Mm... " he snorted, going back to the control panel.

Mikaela returned to watch him, marveling of how at ease she could be with a killing machine. Probably it was because her history wasn't immaculate, that or she was becoming suicidal.

" Stop looking at me, human. "

Mikaela shrugged " You and your creepy sensors. I'm not looking at you, I advise a calibration. "

He grunted, hitting the panel.

" This familiarity is disturbing. " Barricade growled.

" I could agree with this... " Mikaela sighed, stopping to pretend " Ok, I was staring at you, happy? "

" No. Happy? " he retorted.

" Bah! It's all funny. " Mikaela muttered.

" What, now, human? "

" Everything. Don't you think? "

Barricad started to feel ready for the kill.

" Are you going insane or what? "

" No, I mean... it's funny in a tragic way. Sorry. " she laughed.

Barricade turned to face the woman, and tilted his head in a intimidating way " I don't like nonsense. "

" I know. "

" So what were you truly thinking? "

" This entire situation is incongruous. "

" Very acute. "

" I mean... what if we succeed? "

" The humans at KSI won't become other than a smear on the floor. " his eyes glinted happily just at the thought of this possibility. He had waited too long for a little bit of action.

" I hope so. " she admitted " And then? "

" And then what? " he spat out.

" And then what of Cybertron? " the question slipped out of her mouth before she was able to think better of it.

" There is no Cybertron. " Barricade grimaced, moving a step toward Mikaela " Not anymore, human. "

" So what is left? "

" Survival. " he darkly growled.

" Oh, shit. " she cried, taking her head in her hands " And that is the point, Barricade. I can't believe that there is no option left for Cybertronians. I remember the days of Chicago, and before. What if there are more Decepticons or Autobots left? It could be that you don't know their whereabouts. They could be alive somewhere else. They had ships! "

" No. They are all gone. Terminated. "

" How can you tell that? You were almost dead after Chicago. Maybe they fled, maybe Soundwave wasn't able to hear from them because they were too far away, safe! "

Barricade laughed, a bitter, cruel laugh... his eyes glinting in the dim light " You don't get it, right? Even if a dozen mechs were able to flew from Earth, or twenty, or fifty... there is nothing left. We will always be homeless, a race doomed. Good only for war. "

" I can't believe it. I need to hope that somewhere... "

" Somewhere what? " he spat, punching the wall with his fist " What's wrong with you humans? Why can't you accept when hope is gone? There is nothing left, and imagining things will not change that! Stop bothering me! "

" All of this makes no sense! " Mikaela get up from her seat " I... feel that.. "

The mech growled dangerously " You _feel?_ You feel _what_, human? "

She faced his raised fist, his aggressive stance without faltering. Barricade moved another step toward the woman and then stopped, seeing something in her gaze. Something he couldn't put his finger on, but... something nonetheless. He froze, and they remained like that till he sow the strange glimpse of light dampen in Mikael's eyes.

He shrugged, unsure, but ready to regain control over himself. And still very mad.

Mikaela sighed " I'm not searching to provoke you. I'm not that suicidal. But you don't know everything. "

" Nor do you. " he retorted.

" That's right, I know. "

He growled again; she knew that the Allspark was gone. That the Cybertronian were doomed, homeless, sick with war. Why she can simply accept the truth, and let it go?

" Even before Chicago the situation was desperate. "

Mikaela tilted her head: having Barricade trying to explain something without being rabid was a rare occurrence.

" We didn't have the meanings to make our race survive. I have witnessed the death of the last hatchlings, human. Megatron was crazy. We were blinded by the desire for more power… but useless when it comes to create life. They are all gone, now. "

" What do you mean with…hatchlings? " Mikaela froze. It can't be...

" Megatron had a few of them before moving to Chicago. " he shrugged " And they were already dying when we hid them. After that no one provided the hatchlings with energy, nor they were retrieved. " he laughed " What do you feel now, Mikaela Banes? Hush up your hopes: you can't change it. Hope is long gone for Cybertronians. Revenge is what is left. "

The woman turned to study the ship's controls, trembling with rage and sadness.

" Hatchlings? " she whispered agin, to let the idea settle in her brain " Your... kids? "

" Something of the kind. "

She faced him again " They were hidden, left to die alone? "

The dark mech nodded " That's our way, Banes, death. Period. "

" I need to see… "

" Human... " he admonished, starting to lose patience again.

" No. No... I'm not thinking that they could be still alive. " she shook the head " But Maggie and Soundwave are going to bring back home what is left of those who died. And we should do the same. We cannot leave anything behind us. KSI, or someone else could find your hideouts and start again with experimenting. If some remains of Cybertronian nature has been left somewhere, we must retrieve them. Fuck, Barricade! Why you didn't speak of this before? "

" I completely forgot, until now. " he muttered.

" That's all crazy… " she whispered, and Barricade saw another glimpse of the strange light in her eyes, her stony determination.

" Primus, female! " he cursed " You will be the death of me! "

" No. " she bit her lips " I'm the last medic. I can't be the death of you. "

Barricade sighed, a hot gush of air coming from his vents " The place is not far. When are you intentioned to go to this useless mission of yours? "

**.xxx.**

**Author's note:**

Hello Readers!

Forgive me for the shortness of this instalment, and for the time taken to update. Sigh! Be patient and you will see the story progress... :)

Thanks to those who added the story to their favourites, and thanks to those who followed "It's a Cruel world". And ESPECIALLY thanks to those who wrote a review! I LOVE reviews! xD So, if you feel like that... well, write me a comment! Ehehe!

A few days ago I had the possibility to watch again Transformers 4; my judgment on some things is still harsh, I have softened a bit probably... but I still don't agree with some of the choices made by the director and bla blah... -.- Things like the depiction of Hound in the movie remained a mystery to me. A fat ballerina with a gun?! Ah!

Well, that's all for now, folks! See you as soon as possible!


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